Film academy changes rules for documentary Oscar eligibility

NEW YORK (AP) – The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has ruled documentary series like the recent Oscar winner “O.J.: Made in America” will no longer be eligible for the Academy Awards.

The academy on Friday announced a handful of rule changes, most notably that “multi-part or limited series” will not be admitted in the documentary category. Questions of eligibility will be resolved by the documentary branch’s executive committee.

Director Ezra Edelman maintained that his critical acclaimed, 467-minute-long “O.J.: Made in America” was created as a long film. It briefly ran in theaters that way, too, making it eligible for the Oscars. Most viewers, however, saw it as a five-part series on ESPN.

The film academy also announced that the best animated film category will now be voted on by the entire membership.

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